His company, METL, has interests in textile manufacturing, flour milling, beverages and edible oils in at least six African states.

Mr Dewji served as a ruling party MP for a decade until 2015. He told the BBC in a 2014 interview that this possibly made it easier for him to meet top politicians, but it did not give him an unfair advantage, as other businessmen also had access to them.

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Media captionTanzania’s Mohammed Dewji spoke to the BBC in 2014

Environment Minister January Makamba, a friend of Mr Dewji, tweeted that he had spoken to Mr Dewji’s father and the family confirmed that he had been kidnapped.

What more do we know about his abduction?

The abduction took place in the affluent neighbourhood of Oysterbay.

The kidnappers fired shots in the air before driving away with the billionaire, eyewitnesses said.

Mr Dewji, a fitness enthusiast, had no security guards with him and had driven to the gym on his own, Dar es Salaam regional police commissioner Paul Makonda told reporters.

Two of the kidnappers were white men, he added.

Security personnel across Tanzania have been put on high alert in the hunt for the abductors, police said.

Are kidnappings common in Dar es Salaam?

The city’s name comes from Arabic, and literally means Abode of Peace. And Dar es Salaam is very safe, in comparison to Lagos or Johannesburg, the main cities in Nigeria and South Africa respectively.

Although Tanzania has seen a wave attacks and abductions of opposition politicians and perceived government critics, this is the first time a businessman of Mr Dewji’s standing has been kidnapped in the country.

Businessmen have never felt at risk of being kidnapped and they often move around on their own. Some may have chauffeurs, but not bodyguards. So Mr Dewji’s abduction has come as a huge shock.